I want to start fly fishing and was wondering about this rod?
I found this rod, it seems to have good reviews. http://www.basspro.com/Temple-Fork-Outfitters-Lefty-Kreh-Professional-Series-Fly-Rods/product/57509/-1022046
I want to fish for trout in small rivers. I was going to go with the 9' 6wt rod. Also what would be a good reel and line to get?
Thank you.
TFO is overrated due to heavy marketing. They're not particularly great rods in comparison to other rods in their price range, and they use some of the crappiest components available.
TFO hired Lefty Kreh as its face of marketing. Lefty is well-known for his casting prowess, and the ads featuring his mug have paid off for both Kreh and TFO. I guess people believe that Lefty actually fishes TFO rods.
Kreh has made some contributions to fly fishing. Most notable of these are a couple of knots and a saltwater fly pattern. Otherwise, he's very talented at presenting a fly at any distance, a great entertainer at fly fishing shows, and one of the highest paid fishing celebrities ever.
I once thought well of Mr Kreh, but as you can probably tell, I've lost that respect. He's become a big proponent of privatizing watersheds that were once available to public access. He's become an ally of Donny Beaver, a man that has made a fortune in privatizing water and charging anglers upward of $80,000 annually for access to private water.
Ironically, Mr Kreh, a man who has made his own fortune off everyday anglers of average and below average means, has "free" memberships to Mr Beaver's private angling clubs.
So that's my feelings about Lefty Kreh and the foundation of my belief that TFO, a producer of mediocre-at-best fishing rods, made a poor choice in selecting a representative.
In your budget, I'd suggest considering either a rod from Reddington's Classic Trout series, Cabela's LSi, Cabela's Traditional II, or St Croix Imperial.
Reels are of little importance for trout fishing in small streams. I like high quality reels and own some pricey reels for trout fishing, but I realize very little is required in a functional fly reel for small stream trout. The reel is little more than a line holder, since you'll be bringing the line in by hand when catching small to medium trout.
Two important considerations for a small stream reel are (1) reel weight and (2) reel construction. You want a reel that balances nicely with your trout rod. An overly heavy reel will inhibit pleasant casting. Also, rambling around small streams can be hard on reels. You can expect to knock your reel on a few rocks. A poorly designed reel that lacks strength in critical areas can be damaged beyond use by one good fall on a rock. Machined aluminum reels are inherently stronger and fairly resistant to cracking in comparison to cheaper cast aluminum reels. Searching message boards could result in a nice machined, secondhand reel for $75-100.
Don't go cheap on the line. A good standard for trout fishing lines is Cortland's classic "peach" lines. They float well, cast nicely and last for repeated seasons with reasonable care. For lighter presentations, Cortland also makes the "Clear Creek" version for a couple dollars more. The Hook & Hackle Co offers their own knock-off of the classic peach line for a very reasonable price. Rio also has a good budget priced line - the Mainstream series.
Two more points. I would only go with a 6wt if you intend to fish larger or heavier nymphs (#4-8) or streamers. A 9ft-6wt is overgunned for my definition of trout fishing in smaller rivers, even out west. A 5wt offers enough power for presenting #10-12 weighted nymphs, small streamers and bushy dry flies. But the 5wt is more delicate when presenting the much more common #14-18 patterns. My second point is to recommend a double taper line for your initial line purchase. DTs are wonderful for smaller rivers where casts seldom exceed 30-40ft, including leader. With these distances there is no advantage to a weight-forward line; rather, you have the disadvantage of having only one usable end with a WF, whereas the DT allows you to reverse the line when you've worn out one end.
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